Democratization will not proceed well if it is not supported by the development of a political culture that adheres to the principles of democracy.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - State officials and political parties need to build a democratic political culture so that democratization or the process of building a democracy in Indonesia can proceed well.

National Research and Innovation Agency's (BRIN's) main expert researcher, Siti Zuhro, delivered the remarks at a seminar entitled ‘Developing Civilized Political Culture for Advanced Sovereign Indonesia’ on Monday.

“Democratization will not proceed well if it is not supported by the development of a political culture that adheres to the principles of democracy,” she noted.

As conveyed by world politics experts, Gabriel A. Almond and Sidney Verba, a democratic political culture is a participative political culture, she said here.

It refers to a collection of viewpoints, beliefs, behaviors, norms, and perceptions that support the realization of public participation.

Moreover, a good democracy agenda must have a vertical dimension, meaning that it must open a space for people to get involved in the process of politics and governance.

It must also have a horizontal dimension, which dictates the relationship between the main political institutions.

"The two dimensions can strengthen one another and work simultaneously (to realize a democratic political culture)," Zuhro explained.

The effort to cultivate democratic vitality is necessary to create a more open democracy for all elements of society in Indonesia, she said.

Political parties can cultivate democratic vitality through the development of democratic values, ethics, and capabilities of the people, she explained.

"This is the job of political parties," she remarked.

In addition, the government can also cultivate democratic vitality by improving accountability and responsiveness toward public interest, she informed.

"Then, (the government) should also strengthen the monitoring and checks-and-balances mechanism as well as political rationality between democratic institutions," she added.

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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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